Playing With Fire
by NinjaGal183
Summary: It was like a nightmare, except she didn't wake up. "You're a Phantomhive...it's time you started behaving like one" the young earl said SebastianxOCxJoker
1. Life Changes

**Hey everyone! This is my first Black Butler fic! It begins in Book of Circus, hope you like it!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER!**

It seemed like with every passing moment the chatter of excited children and eager customers grew louder. The sound would usually make her stomach churn with anxiety when she first started, but now it was like music to her ears. She stood up from her chair and gazed through the small opening of her tent to see how much of an audience they were expecting. She watched as the newer members of their troupe worked behind the booths or tended to the equipment. Most of them were understudies, but they weren't going to be doing performances just yet. They still had a lot more training to do before they could be first tiers. She watched as people hastily ushered inside the big arena. They were certainly having a big audience tonight. That would make Joker happy. And if Joker was happy, she was happy.

She moved away from the front of her tent and smiled to herself. She enjoyed performing, really she did. The sound of applause after she would finish her act was reward enough, but personally it was the end of the night that she looked forward to the most. After a successful night of performances and with a crowd as big as this one, they would all celebrate. She wanted tonight to be one of those of celebrations. The end of the night where nothing else in the world mattered and everyone was happy. She sat back down and played with the little flame that flickered on her candle, pushing her long black hair over one shoulder and rested her chin in her palm. The small lights around the edge of her mirror shined on her face as she absentmindedly traced a finger on the little painted star on her cheekbone. A light breeze passed through her tent, giving her goosebumps on the bare skin of her legs, but didn't care. She sighed and rested her head on top of her dresser and watched the wax slowly trickle down the edge of the candle. Her blue eyes momentarily glanced at the picture she had of her and the rest of the troupe. Her family.

"Blaze? Blaze, can I come in?" Joker's voice called from outside, making her snap her head up.

"Um, yes!" she replied, wrapping her silk robe even tightly around her body. As Joker walked in she felt warmth rise in her cheeks. She silently hoped it was too dark for him to see. He blinked as his eyes fell on her.

"Why aren't you dressed yet? The show's about to start" he said.

"Already?" she asked in surprise, to which he nodded. "Well, don't worry, I'm doing the final act"

He rubbed his forehead with his prosthetic hand, somehow without scratching himself. "Blaze, I'd feel better knowing you're in the arena waiting for your cue"

She folded her arms over her chest. "Joker, have you ever known me to miss my part?" she said, taking a step closer and fixed the front of his jacket. "And how many times do I have to tell you, you don't have to call me Blaze when we're alone"

He gently wrapped his hands around her wrists and pulled her hands away. "I'm serious, Blaze" he said in a soft, but firm voice. "There's no such thing as a one man show. We all work together"

She sighed and tucked her hands under her arms. "I know" she said, looking down in embarrassment. "I'm sorry. I'll…I'll get ready" She added, feeling her cheeks flare.

Joker gently took her chin in his good hand and raised her head so that she could read the silent 'thank you' in his eyes. She gave him a small smile as he let go. "I'll have Doll help you with your makeup" he said, walking back towards the entrance of the tent. They could distinctly hear the noise of the crowd. "We have a big audience tonight, Blaze" he added.

She smiled at him. "Then we'll give them something to remember" she said. That was always their motto.

Blaze saw a grin appear on the edge of his mouth before he left. It made her feel a little better, but still, how annoyed he must've been with her just now! She quickly brushed away the thought before it could disturb her for the rest of the night and yanked open her wardrobe and glanced through her selection of leotards.

Life was strange. At least, she thought so.

It wasn't too long ago when she had nothing. She had lost everything and became homeless, starving, and lonely. And then she found Joker. Or rather, Joker and his group found her. He wasn't Joker then. He was just a boy. A boy who was taken in by a man he called Father. And it was because of him, she had a place to call home too and someone to call family. Back then, she had nothing but the clothes on her back and now here she was standing in front of a wardrobe and picking the appropriate attire for her performance. Blaze ended up choosing a black and purple leotard. Purple was Joker's favorite color. It was long sleeved glittered in different places, the bottom stopped just where her thighs started and like any leotard it fitted to the body.

After Blaze changed into her attire, she stretched her leg towards the ceiling while balancing on the other. She did the same with the other leg and then arched backwards until her hands were flatly placed on the ground behind her feet. Of course the leotards were able to let her move more freely. Doll entered the tent just as Blaze moved to balance on her hands, almost hitting the porcelain-like girl in the face. Doll widened her eyes in surprise as she stared at the foot that was pointed to her nose. Blaze quickly propped herself upright and gave her an apologetic look.

"Perhaps you should announce yourself before entering someone's tent" Blaze suggested.

"That would be the safer thing to do, wouldn't it?" Doll said, walking over to her dressing table and grabbed the powder. "Start with the leg?" she asked.

Blaze put her hands on her hips and looked at the old red burns that went down the side of her right thigh. "Always" Blaze replied, placing her foot on the chair. Doll began to pat powder on her thigh as she spread a little color on her lips. She moved on to powder her face as Doll began to do her eye makeup.

"There. All done" she said. Blaze stared at herself in the mirror and admired Doll's work. The purple shadow on her eyelids spread a little farther than the ends of her eyes and the black line on the bottom pulled into an elegant curl. "It's almost time" Doll said, looking at the clock and sprinted outside.

"Doll?" Blaze said

The porcelain-like girl stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"I want to celebrate tonight" she told her. "Let's have a good show"

Doll blinked at her and then laughed. "Why? When everyone else dances, all you do is sit in the corner" she said coolly, before running towards the arena.

The end of Blaze's mouth twitched upward. It was true. While everyone else danced in celebration after a successful night's performance, she would sit in the corner and clap her hands to the music. She would be happy and smile like everyone else would. The first tiers always assumed that she was shy and didn't know how to dance. They were wrong of course, she knew how to dance. But the way she danced was different from the way they danced. She was scared that it would give her away and they would know. So she never danced, but...maybe this time she will.

"Blaze!" Joker called.

"I'm coming!" she called back, running out of her tent and towards the back of the arena.

 _Tonight has to be perfect_ she thought to herself. _For Joker…_

 **End of Chapter 1. I'm sorry if this chapter was a little short or if my OC sounds like a Mary-Sue, but it'll get better. Please fave/follow. If you enjoyed it please review and let me know! :)**


	2. Improvised Act

**Thank you Aqua Lilly for reviewing and all those who favorite/followed!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER!**

~Sebastian and Ciel~

The day was almost completely gone until Sebastian heard Undertaker's cough from inside the shop that was almost passable for laughter. Sebastian opened the front door just a little bit to see his young master panting from exhaustion. Undertaker was exactly in the same place he was when the butler had stepped outside.

"I never expected the Earl Phantomhive to succumb to such desperate measures" Undertaker said, chuckling to himself.

Ciel stood up straight and unrolled his sleeves as Sebastian retied his bow. "What on earth did you do?" his butler inquired.

"It doesn't matter" Ciel replied as Sebastian helped him put on his coat. "Alright, I've paid your fee. Now what do you know about those missing children?" Ciel told Undertaker.

The man folded his hands under his chin and the smallest smirk appeared on his lips. "Nothing" he answered.

"What?" Ciel and Sebastian said at the same time in confusion. They were both quiet as they waited for Undertaker to explain.

"I haven't heard any rumors of the said children and none of them were my customers" he explained.

Ciel balled his hand in a fist, frustrated. "So you don't know anything!" he demanded impatiently, realizing he had practically humiliated himself to pay Undertaker's fee for nothing. He'd wasted an entire day here and in the end Undertaker had the last laugh. Literally.

"Don't look so cheated, my lord" Undertaker said as if reading his thoughts. "I simply know that I _don't_ know"

Ciel was about to retort when his butler spoke up. "If you don't know anything, certainly they can't be in the underworld" Sebastian said in thought. "In other words…"

"If the underworld doesn't have their bodies and they weren't found here, then that would mean they're still alive somewhere" Ciel finished in disbelief. Undertaker smiled and held one of the papers of the missing children. Ciel grabbed his cane. "So we'll have to further investigate that circus ourselves. Come, Sebastian" he said, turning towards the door.

"My lord?" Undertaker spoke. Ciel stopped in the doorway and turned to look at him. "Be careful when you investigate that circus, you might not like what you see" he said.

Ciel narrowed his eyes at him. "Do you know something I don't?" he spat.

"Concerning the missing children? No. But you may find more than what you're looking for" Undertaker replied. Ciel glared at him irritably as Undertaker smirked. "I expect I'll be getting some new customers soon. Take good care of your soul, Lord Phantomhive. We only get one"

"Yes, I already know" Ciel answered, leaving the shop and stepping out onto the busy street.

"Where to now, my lord?" Sebastian asked as he closed the door to the carriage.

"The circus. We'll have to investigate it straightaway" he told his butler.

*~Circus~*

Blaze pushed the tent flaps out of the way where Snake, Beast, Doll and Dagger were already waiting for her. They all turned to look at her when she entered.

"Where were you? The show's already started" Dagger said.

"I know. I lost track of time" she explained quickly. "So how's the show going?" she asked.

"Peter and Wendy just finished. My act is next" Dagger informed, spinning one knife in the air and then catching it single handedly. As Peter and Wendy's applause died down, the lights went to black queuing Dagger to run into the arena. Doll also took the darkened tent as an opportunity to climb the ladder and wait for her tightrope act even though Snake's act was after Dagger's. She heard the crowd cheer for Dagger as his act came to an end and Snake sauntered into the middle of the arena as Joker announced his name.

"Showtime...says Emily" Snake said.

Blaze smiled and shook her head. "Good luck" she told him, to which he gave her the slightest of nods. She didn't like _snakes_ , but she found Snake fascinating. He was part of the first tier as much as she was, but he mostly kept to himself no matter how much she tried talking to him. But he was like that with everyone. A light dimmed down on him as he began his act, leaving her and Beast in an awkward silence as they watched from behind the curtain. "Snake certainly has the audience in a trance doesn't he?" Blaze said in an attempt to make conversation with Beast.

"Did Joker leave you in a trance too when he came to your tent?" she asked dryly "That's why you were late, wasn't it" Beast added, her eyes slightly narrowing.

Blaze looked away as she felt her face grow warm. "We're having a good show, let's not ruin it with pointless arguments" she said.

"Hmph" was all Beast replied with.

Blaze sighed. She and Beast weren't enemies. They were friends, really they were. But when it came to Joker they could be. Blaze felt guilty because she knew Beast liked him too, but still, she couldn't shake what she felt either. They were both aware of how Joker acted a certain way with both of them, and sometimes if not always, they would become jealous of one another. They were friends of course, they have been for a long time. After all, they were coming from the same place. Beast was her partner and teacher, and Blaze really admired her. It wasn't worth fighting and they both mutually agreed to that.

"It's almost time for the final act" Beast said, grabbing her whip. Betty appeared by her side and purred. Beast patted the tiger's head affectionately and looked to Blaze. "I want us to have a good show too, so just do what we practiced" she said.

The hidden command behind her words was too obvious. _Don't try to steal my moment._ Blaze sighed and watched her go as Snake finished his act and walked out of the arena as the lights darkened. She watched him go as he walked past her. Doll was coming close the end of her act. And hers wasn't until after Beast's. Blaze shook her head and ran outside after Snake.

"Snake!" she called, causing the boy to stop. They stood about three feet away from each other. "That was a good show in there"

"Thankss, naturally, I ended up doing all the work…says Wilde. You? You messed up the dance halfway through…says Keats" Snake said for his snakes.

"Uh…" Blaze began, awkwardly rubbing the back of her neck. "I was hoping I could just talk to Snake"

"How rude…says Goethe"

"I wasn't trying to be—er…anyway, some of us were saying that if we have a great show we should have a small celebration tonight. Why don't you join us?" she said hopefully.

"For Joker, you mean"

It took Blaze a moment to realize it was Snake who spoke, and that he wasn't talking for _a_ snake. She turned her face away and pursed her lips. "Is it obvious?" she asked.

But she never got a chance to hear Snake's response because they were interrupted by the sound of shocked screams from inside the arena. "The girl must be giving a good show…says Wilde" Snake said.

"I don't know. That doesn't sound like praise to me" Blaze said skeptically. It wasn't until she heard the crack of whip, she sprinted back inside the tent. Her eyes first landed on Dagger who looked utterly dumbfounded. His mouth hung open and his hands clenched in his hair as he stared at the arena. "Dagger, what is it?" she asked.

He didn't say anything, instead pointed a shaking finger to the arena. Blaze followed his hand in confusion as she saw a man in a tailcoat with his head almost entirely inside Betty's mouth. She absolutely sure her expression was the same as Dagger's in that moment.

"Betty, stop!" Beast shouted. Blaze watched as she raised her whip, but instead of hitting Betty the gentleman extended his hand and the whip tangled into his hand.

"There's no need for that. Either way, it wouldn't be enough to properly train her" the man said, moving his head away from the tiger. "Her charm is overwhelming, I simply couldn't stay away" he explained to Joker and Beast.

Just as the customer turned his head, Betty stood on her hind legs and bite the top of his head causing the audience to scream in panic again. "We have to stop the show!" Dagger yelled in distress.

Blaze grabbed his wrist just as he was about to run off. "Do not stop the show" she told him, her eyes hastily scanning the arena.

"Are you mad?! Betty's trying to kill him!" Dagger shouted.

She ignored him and stared more closely into the arena. There had to be a way to save the show before it could get worse. The man didn't even flinch when the tiger bit into his head. She didn't give herself time to wonder why. Blaze grabbed her javelin and looked back at Dagger.

"Kill the lights on the chandelier" she told him. He opened his mouth to object, but she cut him off. "Just do it!" she commanded.

Blaze waited anxiously as she watched Dagger motion to Peter and Wendy. They seemed to have understood his message because they both used the trapeze to gracefully land on the chandelier and extinguished the candles.

"That didn't help at all, what're we supposed to do now?" Dagger said anxiously.

He was right, the arena was still slightly visible, but she knew that would happen. Blaze didn't give time to answer him and jumped gracefully onto the barricade that separated the audience from the arena while the crowd was still murmuring in confusion. She extinguished all but the last torch that was lined along the barricade so the arena was pitch black. The crowd's voices rose as they became even more confused and frantic. This was it.

This was her act.

Blaze took the last torch and lit the ends of her javelin. She jumped down from the barricade into the arena and began to spin the lit javelin around her body in an almost graceful dance. This was her talent, dancing with fire. The audience began to quiet down again and watched her performance in mixed confusion and awe. Blaze slowly took a few steps back towards Beast while still spinning her javelin.

"Get Betty out of here" she said through gritted teeth, while still keeping her in the dark. She could practically feel Beast's glare boring into her neck, but watched her lead Betty out of the tent from the corner of her eye. Blaze kept a wide smile on her face for the audience, but still watched as Joker politely ushered the man in the tailcoat out of the arena.

Honestly. What man in his right mind would waltz up to a tiger like that?

 **Please review! I love feedback!**


	3. We're All Freaks

**So sorry about the wait, guys! Hope you can forgive me. I had serious writer's block with this chapter, but finally managed to get through it. Read and review please! Reviews really give me motivation!**

 **DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN BLACK BUTLER! JUST MY OWN OC(S)**

Chapter 3: "We're all Freaks"

~Ciel~

Damn! How could he have forgotten that tigers were cats?! The audience gasped in horror as the tiger sank its teeth into Sebastian's head. The chandelier above the arena suddenly extinguished. Towards his right, he saw the first torch along the barrier go out. Then the next one…and the next one…

Suddenly the arena was pitch black and the only thing that could be seen was a dancing fire in the middle. It took him a moment to realize it was another performer. The audience was quickly distracted and watched in awed silence. The performer danced the fire in a fast yet graceful motion, illuminating her face for barely a second as it flew by. He could see the outline of another performer come down and raise the fire performer onto one of the platforms connecting the tight rope. The performer swung the fire around in different ways to demonstrate her flexibility. The audience 'oohed' and 'aahhed', which was typical.

Her act went on a while longer until there was light in the arena again. The girl with the tiger was gone and Sebastian had appeared noiselessly at his side. He didn't seem at all fazed by the audience's outcries when he had approached the enormous tiger. Ciel glared at his butler before turning back to look at the performer. She held a long stick her hand, which he assumed was what had been on fire and was balancing in the middle of the tightrope. She raised both arms in the air and breathed heavily as the audience cheered for her.

"Ladies and gentlemen please give another round of applause for our star of the night…Blaze!" the ring leader yelled to the crowd.

He watched as she climbed down to the middle of the arena and stood next the ring-leader and they both bowed. The crowd slowly began to disperse and Ciel walked down a few steps to get a better look at the woman standing in the middle of the arena. She laughed and hugged the other performers as they waved to the crowd. There was specks of glitter around her eyes, and her black and purple leotard exposed her legs for everyone to see. It was disgraceful.

He watched as she spoke to the man, Joker, and grabbed his hand. Her smile seemed to reach her ears as she held his hand to her chest. Had she no shame? Then again, she was a circus performer. Perhaps she truly had none. Ciel stood behind the barrier and stared at her. Then her eyes flickered to him for a brief second and then she looked back again and stared at him questioningly. Ciel didn't look away and found himself hoping that somehow his eyes would bore through her skull.

"My lord?" Sebastian said.

"We're leaving" Ciel said through gritted teeth and clenched his cane as he walked out of the tent.

~Blaze~

The arena was illuminated once again by light. Her javelin lay extinguished on one of the platforms. Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to catch her breath. She didn't dare as much as twitch her feet as she stood in the middle of the tightrope. _Don't look down_ she told herself firmly.

"Blaze!" Wendy yelled at her from the left. "Blaze, come down!"

She inhaled deeply and cautiously but quickly ran across the tightrope to the platform and climbed down.

"Ladies and gentlemen please give another round of applause for our star of the night…Blaze!" Joker announced to the crowd.

Blaze locked eyes with him for a moment as she jumped down the last few steps from the ladder. A mixture of shock, relief, and gratitude was etched on his face and Blaze couldn't help but feel a sense of pride knowing it was because of her. He was looking at _her_ that way. _She_ had made him look at her that way. Blaze smiled widely and stood next to Joker and bowed to their audience as the rest of the troupe joined.

Joker turned to her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. "You. Were. Amazing" he emphasized.

"It was nothing. Besides..." she said, taking his good hand and staring up at him warmly. "Have you ever known me to miss my part?" she asked, placing his hand under her chin.

"It wasn't nothing" Joker told her. "You saved the show"

Her smile fell a little when he said that. "Well…I'd rather you don't tell Beast you said that" she said, awkwardly rubbing her neck. Blaze scanned the arena, but Beast wasn't anywhere. She must've still been with Betty. "I just wanted us to have a good show" she admitted. "Perfection is difficult. So what if the show didn't go as planned? Wouldn't it be better to celebrate anyway?"

Joker opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Peter. "Honestly, what was that chap thinking? Walking up to a tiger so stupidly"

"Never mind that!" Blaze said impatiently, her eyes flickering to the man in the tailcoat for a brief second. "I was suggesting that maybe tonight we could..." but Blaze stopped and looked back over. The man stood there silently, but it wasn't him Blaze was staring at. In front of him was a small boy in a top hat and fancy coat and he just stared at her. She would have thought he was a customer in awe, but his expression was disgust. Blaze stared back questioningly and her eyes widened. The boy said something and watched as he left the tent. The man in the tailcoat followed him like a shadow.

"Hello? Blaze!"

She blinked and looked over her shoulder as Dagger waved his hand in front of her face. "Pardon?" she said in confusion.

Dagger put his hands on his hips. "I was sayin' we should get out of costume and get somethin' to eat?"

"The rest of you go on. I'll be right back" Joker said, pulling his hand away from Blaze and sprinted out of the arena.

Blaze sighed dejectedly as she watched him go. Dagger shook his leg. "Crap, it's loose again. I'll have Doc look at it then meet you guys in the mess hall" he said.

"I'm not that hungry" she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I'm not there, don't look for me" she said coolly.

Dagger turned to her and frowned. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.

"Nothing," she lied as she left the tent and headed back to her own. Blaze peeled off her leotard and changed into a faded white blouse and long brown skirt. She tied her hair back and removed all of her makeup, starting with her leg. She didn't look twice at her burns this time. Blaze sighed and sat down in her chair. All she wanted was to have a good show and celebrate the night with her troupe. _Had that been too much to ask?_ She thought to herself. Beast must've been angry at her more than anything. Poor Beast…how embarrassed she must've been losing control of her tiger in front of so many people. Blaze had gone ahead with her act to save the show, not steal it from Beast.

She wondered if Beast knew that. It was probably better to let her know. Blaze stood up and walked outside to look for her. She was probably inside her own tent. She turned the corner and saw Snake sitting on one of the crates outside his own tent. She smiled at him.

"Is Beast in her tent? I wanted to have a word with her" Blaze explained.

"She's not in there…says Wilde"

Blaze pursed her lips. "Do you have an idea where she might be?" she questioned.

"She went inside the prop tent, last I saw…says Goethe"

"Thank you," she told him, heading towards the prop tent. It was also where they kept their spare swords, knives, javelins and other props for the shows. Sure enough when Blaze walked inside, Beast was organizing her whips. Blaze pursed her lips and nonchalantly grabbed one of the swords off the rack. "Beast?" she said cautiously.

The girl turned her head to look at her. "Oh, it's just you" she said coolly.

"Er...yes. I wanted to talk to you about what happened tonight" she said slowly. "I wasn't trying to steal your show"

"I know" she said almost bluntly. "It was that posh freak that ruined my act. If you hadn't improvise the night might've been an even bigger disaster" she said.

Blaze blinked. Did Beast just compliment her? That actually made her flush a little. "Thank you" Beast added.

"Er, sure" Blaze answered with a nod.

Beast shook her leg. "Damn, my leg's loose again. Will you come see Doc with me? We'll go to the mess hall from there" she said casually.

"Er…of course!" she said, surprised Beast was actually kinder towards her. Maybe saving her act paid off after all. Blaze followed her out the tent and headed towards Doc.

"Doc, something's wrong with my leg again—" Beast began to say, but was interrupted by Dagger.

"Miss! You're here for your leg too? So am I! This has to be fate!" he gushed, taking a knee in front of Beast.

Blaze giggled and noticed that Joker was there too. He glanced at her and smiled, making her blush. She hoped the tent was dimly lit enough so that he wouldn't notice. Blaze looked back to Beast to see how she'd respond to Dagger, but saw she had her fist clenched and looked angry.

"You!" she shouted, storming past Dagger as if she didn't see him. "You're that posh freak who ruined my show!"

Blaze turned her attention to the man sitting in the chair in front of Doc. Sure enough it was the posh fellow who approached Betty. He seemed as calm as ever and there wasn't a wound on him.

"Beast! You can't talk to a guest that way" Doc snapped at her, which was enough to make Blaze flinch. "It was your fault for losing control of Betty"

"But—"

"Now, now, you two don't be shouting in front of our guest" Joker cut in, trying to calm the situation.

"Right. Miss said her leg was loose! You should go ahead and check that, Doc!" Dagger put in.

The Doc sighed. "Alright. But you'll be retraining Betty after this, understood?" he said to which Beast responded with stony 'fine'. "Alright what's wrong with your prosthesis?" he asked, pulling his wheelchair as Beast seated herself on the table nearest to her.

"Prosthesis?" the guest asked, standing up.

"We're a bit of an irregular lot, you see. Well, save for Blaze" Joker replied, winking at her. She gave a small smile and sat down on a nearby stool. "Just look at me, lost an arm and doc here fixed me a new one no problem" he continued.

"I wish you'd chosen a different design though, Joker. That one needs constant adjusting" Doc said. Joker rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"What material do you use for the prosthesis?" the guest asked.

As the guest and doctor began to talk, Blaze approached Joker. "Hey Joker, I was wondering…I know we didn't have the perfect night but—"

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING PERVERT?!" Beast screamed.

When Blaze turned around to look, Beast was already throwing her leg down towards the guest's head.

"Apologies, you didn't strike me as the modest type"

Before she could realize what happened there was a loud crack of Beast's whip as it hit the table where the posh fellow was just standing.

"Beast, please! You're ruining my office!" Doc cried.

"Who cares about this stupid office!" Dagger yelled, pulling out his knives. "How dare you lay a hand on my fair lady's skin! Even I haven't touched it yet!" he said angrily.

"To be fair, I didn't actually lay a hand on her skin" the posh man pointed out.

"Regardless…" Blaze said calmly, fury bubbling in the pit of her stomach just like the rest of theirs.

He glanced down at her for a moment as if just realizing she was there which Dagger found as an opportunity to attack. Eight silver knives flashed before her eyes, but somehow the man in black caught all of them between his fingers! Blaze's mouth gaped open.

"Blimey!" Dagger exclaimed in disbelief and Joker whistled. However, Beast was still angry. She cracked her whip again, but the man moved away just above Blaze's head. Beast waved her whip again, hitting Blaze's cheek in the process.

Blaze cried out and cradled her cheek, the sting of the leather coursing through her skin. She looked up in time to see Joker land in front of her, Beast's whip wrapped around his cane and a deadly look in his eye that was enough to even scare her.

Doc rolled his wheelchair up to her. "Blaze, are you alright dear? Come, let's have a look at that" he said worriedly, also reprimanding Joker for not interfering sooner.

"Look what ya did, Beast" Joker sighed.

"Me?! He's the one who started it. And if Blaze had any sense she'd move out of the way" Beast replied defensively.

"Now, now..." Joker said, popping a bouquet of flowers from the end of his cane. "It's an 'andsome leg. Can't blame the poor fellow for wantin' to touch it" he told her, rubbing her thigh in a way that made Blaze's heart wrench. "Go on dear, take the flowers"

"Tch!" was all Beast replied and swatted the flowers away. Joker smiled meekly.

"You alright there, Blaze?" he asked.

"Just a scratch" she smiled as Doc cleaned the wound. She flinched when he dabbed it with alcohol.

"Forgive me" the man in black told her, bowing. "I'll take responsibility. After all, she was aiming for me" he added, handing a dumbfounded Dagger his knives back.

"That was some fancy footwork there, sir. I reckon I'd hire ya" Joker said lightheartedly.

"Is your offer sincere?" he asked seriously, staring at Joker's face who awkwardly stepped back. "I've grown tired of taking care of my master. He's become quite childish. Frankly, I could do with a new occupation"

"Servant, are ya?" Joker asked, dumbfounded. "Never would've pegged ye for a servant. Seem more like a nobleman if you ask me"

"Nobleman? No, not me sir" he remarked, putting a hand to his chest. "You see, I'm simply one hell of a butler"

The tent was quiet for a moment, then Joker laughed as if it were the best joke he's heard all day. But no one else laughed, especially Blaze. Something about the way the he said it made her nervous, like there was more to the joke than he was letting on. There was something eerie about this man. Needless to say, she didn't like him.

"Alright then, why don't ya come by tomorrow?" Joker suggested.

"Wha…?" Beast, Dagger, and Blaze said at the same time.

"Hold on now Joker. Don't you think this is somethin' we should discuss with the rest of the troupe?" Dagger pointed out.

"Dagger's right, Joker. We should talk about this" Blaze agreed.

"Now, now, you two don't be getting' your knickers in a knot. I think he'd make a fine addition to the group, don't you?"

"Hmph" was all Beast said.

"I also have a colleague who might be quite interested. Do you think he could join as well?" he asked, oblivious that three of the circus members clearly didn't want him here.

"Well, if he's anythin' like you, I don't mind. But he'll need to pass a few tests first. Stop by first thing tomorrow" Joker told him.

He smiled. "Very well"

"Good. Well, Blaze will show you out. Won't ya, Blaze?" Joker said, glancing over to her.

"Oh, there's no need—"

"I don't mind. This is a big camp, you're bound to get lost" Blaze interrupted, standing up. The cut on her face still stung, but there was something about this man that really put her off. Maybe it was because of how he disrespected Beast, but she didn't like him one bit.

The man blinked as though he were surprised by her, but smiled again. Blaze walked out of the tent first and the man followed behind her, walking in silence.

"That was a stunning performance you gave this evening, if I may say so" he commented.

"Thank you" she replied bluntly. "Excuse me for saying, but it may have been better if you hadn't walked up to Betty so carelessly. Moreover, you disrespected by friend, Beast. So forgive me if I don't find you joining our circus very appealing" she added coldly.

They stopped walking and he bowed to her. "Fear not, if I am to join I shall be on my best behavior" he promised.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, but didn't say anything. He stopped walking. She was about to ask what was wrong when he moved closer to stare intently at her face and then put a hand in his jacket. Blaze tensed almost immediately. Did he have a gun? She gasped and stepped back when he pulled his hand away, expecting to see a pistol, but it was only a handkerchief.

"You have blood on your face. May I?" he asked.

With her mouth hanging slightly open, he gently rubbed the cloth over her wound once and pulled it away. He didn't blink his crimson eyes once. Blaze quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat.

"You'll want to go straight down this path and make a right to find the arena. I'm sure you can find your way from there" she added cheekily, putting her hands on her hips.

He looked in the direction she pointed and then took her hand in his. "Thank you, madame" he smirked, kissing her knuckles without breaking eye contact.

Blaze watched him go, stunned. All of a sudden she felt scared and vulnerable. As if he found out all her secrets just by touching her. Blaze shivered and headed to the mess hall, little did she know that the man in black was watching her. Waiting for her to disappear so he could search through the top tier tents.

* * *

Blaze was sitting in front of the mirror, absentmindedly brushing her hair over and over again.

"Blaze, what're you doing still up?" Joker asked, peering into her tent.

"No reason" she replied, slowly putting down her hair brush. She didn't have to look in the mirror to see that he was directly behind her.

"You know I know that ain't true. C'mon, what's buggin' ya?" he asked, draping an arm over one of her shoulders.

She squeezed his hand as if it would give her some kind of assurance. "That man…" she said quietly. "I'm unsure, but there's something about him I don't like"

"Ah, come on now love" he brushed off, crouching beside the chair so he was looking up at her. "It's always nice to have new recruits"

"I know…" she said, sounding like a child. "But we already have a new recruit"

"Ya talkin' bout Suit?" he stated, then stood up with his hand on his hip. "Well, Suit's good and all but I think that butler might be a bit more exciting. If his friend's anythin' like 'im we could really be expandin' business"

Blaze sighed and stood up too, brushing the front of her skirt. "I know, but still. Something about that butler really puts me off. Not just him, even Suit, they just seem like…freaks"

Joker's eyes suddenly flickered. Without warning, he grabbed Blaze around her waist and placed her on the table. She gasped, taken aback by surprise as he knocked a few things to the ground. He stood between her knees, his hands on either side of her waist.

"What's wrong with being a freak?" he asked playfully with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Er…"

"We're all freaks here, Blaze. Remember?"

She bit her bottom lip and looked down shamefully. "I know. But I'm sorry, I can't help but feel there's something off about him" she argued. Joker sighed in exasperation. "I think you should tell that posh fellow you've reconsidered. Please, I—hmph!" Blaze was cut off by Joker grabbing her chin with his prosthetic hand and pulling her lips to his own, silencing her.

Something in her chest fluttered as if her heart turned into a hundred butterflies and her brain couldn't form any coherent thoughts. He leaned into her until her head was pressed against the mirror. Giving in, she wrapped her legs around his waist, wrapping one arm around his neck and the other under his shoulder. Pulling him into her form. What she was talking about before, she couldn't remember.

Joker pried the glove off his good hand and slowly trailed it under her skirt and crept up her thigh towards…

Excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach. How she longed for this. But were they doing this here? Sure it was late at night, but her tent didn't have a door! Someone could walk in. What if Beast saw them? They were finally on good terms, if she saw them like this then they were right back where they started.

But then there was a small prideful part of her that wanted Beast to walk in on them. It was such a rotten thought to think. But she wanted her to see that Joker was kissing _her_. He wanted _her_.

His hand stopped moving just as it reached the top and he pulled away. Their foreheads pressed together, both of them breathing quietly. Blaze smiled, her face tinted pink.

"Can't remember the last time you kissed me like that" she breathed, her hands around his neck.

"Better than last time then?" he asked, returning the smile.

"Much better" she answered, pecking his lips softly. Blaze lowered her head and began to kiss his neck, playing with the buttons on his vest.

He stopped her and gently grabbed her wrists. "Blaze, stop" he said.

She blinked. "Should we go to your tent?" she asked genuinely.

"No. That's enough" he told her, pulling away. "There's a lot of work that needs to be done"

Her smile faded and her excitement along with it. Blaze jumped off the table. "They won't notice if you're gone five minutes" she reasoned, gripping his shirt. Blaze didn't mean to sound so pathetic and needy, but she couldn't remember the last time he touched her like this or even look at her the way he did seconds ago.

"Next time" he replied, pulling her hands away and kissed her forehead. He pulled away the flap of the tent and looked back at her. "We might not be all the same, but we're not all that different either. We're all freaks here, Blaze. Remember that" he told her.

"Family" she said quietly to which he nodded. With that, Joker left. Leaving her feeling empty. Deep down she knew he was right, but could she help it if she worried about him?

* * *

Joker stepped outside. The cool breeze hitting his skin as he buttoned up his vest and swiped his mouth, still feeling the taste of her lips on his. Every time he says he'll follow through, the guilt stops him every time and Father's face appears vividly in his head. Joker looked back at Blaze's tent, sometimes feeling like she could read his thoughts. He couldn't lose her.

"Ah, there you are Joker"

"What is it, Peter?" he asked, looking down at the man as he held up an envelope to him. Father's wax seal stamped on the front, making his heart feel heavy.

"Father's seal. Reckon you probably know what it's about" Peter said.

"Keep your voice down" Joker hissed, looking over his shoulder at Blaze's tent and tightening his grip on the letter as if that would hide it.

"You know you'll have to tell her sometime" Peter told him as Joker began to walk towards his tent. "If you don't, she might find out herself"

"Well, we can't have that happenin', now can we?" Joker said coldly. A tone he rarely used.

"She ain't stupid, Joker" Peter snapped. "She knows you're keepin' something from her, so does Snake. Why don't you just tell them?"

"You know Snake would never understand, he had it different from us. An' Blaze would never be able to handle it" he explained, twirling his cane. "Even Father knew that"

 **End of Chapter 3. Please review! Just a fair warning, things might get a little smutty in future chapters. I hope the characters weren't too OOC. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on Blaze (Her real name will be revealed soon)**


	4. Qualms

Chapter 4

The posh fellow was back the next morning and brought a young boy with him. His hair was messy and his worn clothing didn't fit. The sleeves were too long and the pants were too short and he had a white patch over his right eye. His long blue bangs almost covered it entirely. Most of the women were fawning over the posh butler as Joker introduced himself to the young boy.

Blaze didn't stay around to watch the audition though. After all, she had her own act to rehearse for. After breakfast she changed into her black leotard and made her way to the main tent. It was a chilly morning. She'd better rehearse quickly before heading to the bathhouse.

The arena was deserted. Everyone must've been watching the newcomers. She grabbed the proper equipment for herself and stretched her one leg above her head and then switched to the other.

Normally, she preferred the company of another troupe member but not today. She'd rather be alone with her thoughts, especially after last night. She wasn't mad at Joker, just disappointed. This morning she only saw him in passing and he looked tired. It struck her as odd because he was always lively in the morning. He's been more distant from her lately. It was obvious something was bothering him, yet he didn't talk to her. He barely even looks at her. Then last night when they kissed she felt closer to him, as if she's been worrying for nothing. However, when Joker pulled away it felt like there was a wall between them again. That's when Blaze knew she'd been right to worry.

Blaze set the black stool in the middle of the arena and scanned the empty stands once. Right, this seemed to be a good place. It didn't look like any part of the audience would be in her blind spot. She brushed the black and orange strands of Betty's fur off the seat before standing on it and twirling once.

She smiled in satisfaction. Yes, if she could see the entire audience then they could see her. Blaze lit both ends of her javelin and started to rehearse. She spun it several times under and over her arms before tossing it in the air.

 _Concentrate_ she told herself, spinning the javelin faster until it looked like a wheel. Blaze leaned back and stretched one leg in the air, twirling the lit javelin just under her chin.

"Started without me, have you?" Jumbo chuckled.

She straightened up and stared at the enormous man who entered. "Oh, good morning Jumbo" she said softly.

He cocked his head from side to side and Blaze could hear the muscles pop in his neck. "I said I wouldn' be long. You could've waited a minute or two" Jumbo replied lightheartedly.

Blaze raised an eyebrow in confusion. Had he said something to her during breakfast?

That was when she remembered she was performing a duet with Jumbo. "Oh, Jumbo, I'm so sorry" she said remorsefully, lightly jumping off the stool.

Jumbo looked at the young woman as he was reaching for his whips (which were much thicker than the ones Beast used) and raised an eyebrow. "You didn' forget, did ye?"

She pursed her lips and stared at her feet. "Afraid so" she admitted softly.

He stood up and walked over to her. "That ain't like ye" he said, puzzled. "Something botherin' you?" he added. Although he said it as though it were a fact.

Blaze stared up at enormous man. Jumbo had his head cocked to one side and she stared briefly at the red tattoo around his head. Despite how big and scary he looked, Jumbo was possibly the kindest man she knew. If anyone could comfort her about her qualms it was Jumbo. Maybe that was all she needed…comfort.

"It's Joker. He looked a bit glum this morning, haven't you noticed?" she said quietly.

Jumbo raised an eyebrow. "Don't know what yer talkin' about, he seemed fine to me"

"During breakfast before the newcomers arrived" she explained.

"What would he be glum 'bout?" he asked.

Blaze looked down. "I'm not sure, I was hoping you'd know" she replied, discouraged. "Did something happen after last night's performance?"

"Not that I know of" Jumbo said as he lit the two whips on fire.

"I'm worried about him" Blaze sighed.

The enormous man patted her shoulder with enough force to almost make her drop to her knees. "You're always worrin' for nothin'. Joker's fine" he assured.

She bit her bottom lip. "You're positive?" Blaze inquired hopefully.

"Of course" he said confidently, but she was still skeptical. Just then Joker and Dagger walked in with the potential new members.

"Top of the mornin', Blaze! Jumbo!" he greeted cheerfully.

The bald man wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "See? Same ol' Joker" he said quietly.

Maybe she was worrying for nothing. Blaze looked at him and smiled. " _Merci, mon frère_ " she whispered and headed over to him. _Thank you, my brother_.

Jumbo's smile slowly vanished into a wary expression as he watched her go. This wasn't good. Blaze didn't know about the things they did for Father. Things could prove difficult to hide if she started to become suspicious like this. He'll have to talk to Joker about it.

Blaze walked over to Joker as the one of the new recruits climbed up to one of the tightrope platforms and Doll followed.

"Morning, Joker. How's the audition coming along?" she asked, appearing next to him.

"This gentleman here's brought us a talented little sprat. You shoulda seen his knife throwin'" Joker chuckled, rubbing his chin. Blaze looked to the posh fellow from yesterday and unsmilingly nodded once in greeting before looking away.

The young boy stood on the edge of the platform as Doll tied the rope around his waist. Joker cupped his hands around his mouth. "How's it comin'? Don't be shy with those knots alright, Doll? The chap will be mangled up right good if he fell!" he hollered.

"Is…Isn't there some other test you can devise for me?" the boy asked hesitantly.

"Givin' up already, are ye?" Joker asked in a shout.

"N-No, it's just—"

"Then quit yappin' and chivy along! Haven't got all day, have I?" Joker interrupted.

Blaze folded her arms over her chest as she saw the boy clench his fist. "Bit cruel making him walk the tightrope, don't you think?" she asked softly.

"Not in the least. If he's anythin' like Black, this should be no problem for 'im" Joker replied as the boy stepped on the rope.

"Black?" she asked in confusion.

Joker's eyebrows quirked up briefly. "Oh righ'. That'll be yer stage name" he said over his shoulder to the posh man who nodded once with a smile.

Blaze watched him out of the corner of her eye. He was a man of a few words, wasn't he? She didn't mind it from Snake because, well, she knew him. But this man was awfully quiet. He didn't ask questions and frankly didn't seem that happy to be here. Not to mention that he carried himself in a way that was hardly performer type.

She looked back up at the boy that was halfway across the tightrope. He wobbled and then it looked like he was going to fall backwards. Blaze put her hands over her mouth as Dagger cried out. Then he quickly stood upright and looked like he was going to fall forward, but then straightened up.

"Blimey! Don't know how he recovered after that" Joker said in amazement.

They all watched as boy quickly trotted across the rope and fell onto the connecting platform. They boy quickly climbed down the long pole and rubbed his backside.

"That was amazin'! I didn't reckon you were goin' to make it after that first wobble, but here ya are" Joker clapped.

"Yes, here I am" the boy muttered and then for a moment glanced coldly at Blaze. The woman didn't notice though, rather because she looked away at just the right moment.

"Looks like this poppet passes the test then, eh Joker?" Dagger said cheerfully, patting the boy's head.

"Not yet," Joker disputed. Blaze watched as he pointed his prosthetic finger at him. "There's somethin' of the upmost importance that yer missin' still…" he explained, and the boy stared at him seriously. "Yes, I'm talkin' about—a big smile!" he announced, a wide smile cracking on his own face.

"Er…" the boy stuttered.

"Go on then, smile for me!" Joker said, putting his hand on the boy's shoulder. "This is the easy part, don't look so gutted. What's wrong with ye?" he laughed. "Big smile! C'mon, it ain't that hard. Smile…smile!"

The boy finally looked up and a big smile broke across his face.

After finding the two of them some costumes, Joker invited all the circus members into the arena to introduce the newcomers, Black and Smile. Blaze stood next to Snake with her arms folded as the crowd moaned a monotonous 'hello'.

"Y-Yes, I'm…so happy to be here" Smile stammered to the crowd.

Joker twirled his cane and gestured to the new recruits to follow him. "Alrigh' you lot, I'll be givin' these two a quick tour of the grounds and the rest of ya best start preparin' for tonight's show!" he instructed and walked out.

"I hear they're quite promising…says Emily" Snake said.

Blaze wrapped her arms around her body. "There's something ominous about that man, don't you think?" she said quietly. She already voiced these thoughts to Joker, but they only fell on deaf ears. Black didn't even _look_ normal.

"Oi, Blaze! C'mon, we're supposed to be helping the second tier performers today!" Dagger called, waving his arm to her.

"I'll be there in a bit! I have to finish rehearsing with Jumbo" she replied.

Dagger put his hands on his hips. "Alrigh', but be quick about it! Can't help them all myself now can I?"

"Don't worry, I will!" Blaze promised, smiling.

With that, Dagger ran out of the arena. Jumbo picked up her javelin and huffed deeply, lighting it on fire. Several of the newer members standing around clapped their hands in awe. Blaze shook her head in amusement as he handed the javelin to her.

"You really are a showoff sometimes, you know that?" she said and Jumbo chuckled.

Less than an hour later Blaze was sitting on the ground, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Jumbo towered over her with his hands on his hips.

"Think we're ready for tonight" he said confidently, holding his hand out to her.

"I hope so, anything less than perfect this time around would ruin me" she replied, taking his offered hand. "I better get to Dagger before he starts nagging me again" she added and sprinted out the tent.

Jumbo waved goodbye, waiting until she finally disappeared before going to find Beast.

"Oi Beast, we need to talk" he said once he found her by Betty's cage. "S'about Blaze"

"What of her?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Talked 'bout Joker lookin' glum this mornin'. Think she might be startin' to suspect somethin'"

Beast turned her head and raised an eyebrow at the man. "That's it? Talked 'bout Joker bein' glum? Hardly a reason to suspect anythin'" she answered, looking around to make sure she wouldn't be overheard with what she was about to say. "We haven't collected any sweet for Father in weeks. She's got nothin' to go on"

"True, but if she starts nosing aroun', it could mean trouble" Jumbo replied seriously.

Beast stroked Betty's head, looking away. "I'll pass it on to Joker"

O-0-o

When Blaze entered the second-tier tent she was expecting performers to be hard at work, but they were all chattering excitedly around Black.

"What's the buzz about?" she asked Dagger.

"You shoulda seen it, Blaze! Black's a natural performer" he said, folding his arms over his chest. "Blimey, another wickedly talented performer. We better keep our act fresh"

The young boy looked at Dagger curiously. "Another?" he asked.

"Yeah, Black ain't the only bright star to join us" he explained.

"Speaking of, where is he anyway?" Blaze asked. At that moment a long rod shot down from the tightrope, nearly hitting Black in the face. Blaze covered her mouth in shock.

"I thought I sensed something foul. I didn't expect us to meet again, but I suppose I'm destined to be disappointed" Suit said as he slid down the rod he was holding. "Tell me, what prey are you in pursuit of this time, demon?" he snapped, pointing the end of his rod in Black's face.

 _What on earth…?_ Blaze thought, raising an eyebrow. Did Black and Suit know each other? All the performers began to murmur around them. Her eyes flashed to Smile who looked a little pale as Black outstretched his arm almost protectively in front of him.

"I-I say! What is this madness?" Smile exclaimed.

"It's bad enough that we reapers are in short supply without demons popping up all over the place" he stated.

Blaze inwardly groaned. Not this nonsense again.

Suit's been talking like this ever since he came to the circus. It was amusing at first, but now his jokes were just tiring. Dagger stepped forward and tapped Suit's head twice.

"Oi, what've I told you, you old bonker! You say those bits with such a straight face no one will tell you're joking" he laughed, then faced Smile and Black's bewildered face. Or in Black's case, lack thereof. "This bloke's been crackin' joke after joke since the day he got here. Goin' on about souls and such like he's obsessed with that ridiculous occult twaddle"

"It certainly became old after about a week or so" Blaze said as the performers around them continued to laugh.

"I'm not actually joking, I'm entirely serious" Suit deadpanned, combing his hair.

"Very funny," Dagger replied "Suit, meet our newest addition, Black and Smile. You're both our rising stars, so play nice"

Suit turned away. "I refuse to 'play nice', as you say, with vermin like him"

"Wha—Oi! Circus is about teamwork you know!" Dagger shouted after him. He sighed and shook his head before turning back to everyone in the arena. "Alrigh' everyone, listen closely. While I'm helpin' Smile with knife-throwing, Blaze'll be goin' around observing your acts. So if you want that shot at being first-tier, look sharp!"

The performers around them all scrabbled to grab any available equipment. Many of whom gave Blaze hopeful looks. She walked around and gave every performer her undivided attention. A lot of them fell short and Blaze had to wonder if it was because they hadn't been practicing as hard as she thought or if they were just nervous.

After roaming around the arena for a while, she found herself standing in front of the net just above the trapeze. She could still feel the hot flames licking her leg and the pain of her fall. The proof of her accident was scarred all over her right leg. And yet, she was determined to try again and this time, succeed.

"Bet I know what you're thinkin'"

She jumped. "You know better than to sneak up on me like that, Dagger!" she said sharply, slapping his arm.

The boy chuckled. "You know Joker would never let you try that stunt again" he said, staring at the net.

"You said yourself we need to keep our act fresh" she mused.

"Fresh don't mean try and get yourself killed, you goose" he pointed out, throwing an arm around her shoulders.

Blaze pursed her lips and stared at the trapeze determinedly. "I can do it this time" she stated.

O-0-o

"Recruits have been nothin' but a bunch of old ducks lately" Beast seethed, staring at Suit and Black who seemed to be in some sort of odd tug-o-war. If they were trying not to draw attention to themselves, they weren't trying very hard. Half the performers were curiously staring at them including Smile and Dagger.

"Yes, but mighty talented ducks they are" Joker mused, then his smile fell a little. "Listen, all of ye. Beast, Peter, Wendy, Jumbo…"

Jumbo looked up from his book, Peter jumped on his feet as Beast and Wendy turned to look at him.

"The letter from Father said we hadn't collected enough sweets for the main event" he told them gravely. As he expected, all of their breaths hitched in horror. It was like the temperature around them dropped ten degrees. He wasn't happy about it anymore than they were. "We'll do it tonight" he said.

Jumbo swallowed. "That's not a good idea, Joker" he replied delicately.

"Why not?" he asked curiously.

"Blaze" Jumbo stated.

That was all he had to say to get Joker's attention. He tried to hide his wince, but Jumbo saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, Jumbo saw Beast turn away and scowl. Their ringleader turned around to stare at him in confusion and patiently waited for him to explain.

"She's worried 'bout you. Talked to me this morning, said you were lookin' glum. She doesn't have to think hard to know it has somethin' to do with Father. If she starts pokin' her nose 'round…" Jumbo trailed on tensely.

Joker blinked and then chuckled lightly. "Read the letter this mornin'" he explained quietly. "Don't miss a thing, does she?"

"Maybe you should be more careful to hide your emotions" Beast suggested passive-aggressively.

Joker chuckled halfheartedly again. "Can only plaster a fake smile so many times before it starts crackin'. Ain't that right, Beast?" he smiled sadly.

The ends of Beast's mouth twitched slightly in agreement. If Blaze was suspicious they couldn't very well start collecting sweets for Father and risk being found out. But they couldn't ignore Father's request either. Joker turned to the arena, staring at Blaze's back as she observed a juggler.

He needed to wane any qualms she had. Their plan had to be flawless.

"I'll take care of it" Joker said.

They raised their heads hopefully. "What about Father's sweets?" Wendy asked.

"We'll do it another day. Can't risk being found out," he replied.

The first-tier performers exhaled in relief behind him. They were delayed for now…

* * *

 **So sorry about the delay, I had MAJOR writer's block for this chapter. Your reviews really make my day!**


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